 Two separate murder trials began this week, but mostly it was Erick C. Conn, Erick C. Conn, and a little more Erick C. Conn, and it all happened this week. Welcome everyone to This Week. I'm Shawn Allen. For the next half hour, we'll catch you up on news you may have missed and give you updates on the week that was in your hometown. We saw breaking news Tuesday evening both locally and nationally as EKB News was the first in the nation to report on social media that fugitive former disability attorney Erick C. Conn had been captured by Honduras Technical Agency for Criminal Investigation. The Honduras Public Magistrates Office said in a news release that Erick C. Conn was captured by police Monday as he came out of a pizza hut in the coastal city of La Sabre. Shortly after breaking the news of Conn's capture, EKB News spoke with Prestonsburg attorney Ned Pillersdorf, who has been one of Conn's harshest critics after filing a class action lawsuit against him and said the news may mean the beginning of the end for his former clients. My concern throughout this now two and a half year ordeal has been the fate of Conn's former clients. More than 800 have lost their benefits. It's pretty rough now. Whatever little money these people saved and saw the state coming is the money's gone. And, you know, hopefully his capture will start to undo the great damage Conn has not only done to the legal profession, which, you know, I'm part of, but he's also done incredible damage to the plight of people who receive Social Security. I know it's a local story that, you know, folks around here are interested in, but the national and even international attention Conn has focused on people who receive Social Security disability benefits. He has done such great harm and it's been magnified by his outrageous antics, you know, cutting off his ankle bracelet, trying to negotiate the terms of his surrender, ending up in Honduras. He has just done so much harm to so many on so many levels and hopefully this is the beginning of the end of this awful ordeal. As Honduran authorities announced plans to transfer Conn back to the United States on Tuesday, we also learned of a press conference to be held at the FBI headquarters in Louisville and EKB news was quick to make sure our very own EKB news reporter Chris Anderson was there to bring you the latest. Contrary to one of his more popular advertisements, he left, but now he's back in custody. The FBI officially announced today that fugitive former attorney Eric Seacon is in FBI custody. The FBI didn't release a lot of information today at a press conference in Lexington, but they did say that the search for Eric Seacon spanned numerous agencies and international borders. We pursued all investigative avenues. We interviewed dozens of people to include Mr. Conn's family, friends and associates. We employed various technical capabilities. We reviewed emails and social media posts purportedly originating from Mr. Conn. We conducted analysis of his finances and seized bank accounts. We conducted physical surveillance. We searched his former law office, vehicle, and the residence of his mother in Stanville, Kentucky, and we offered a reward for information leading directly to his arrest. Today I'm pleased to announce that Mr. Conn is in custody on Saturday, December 2nd with the assistance of the FBI's legal attaché in San Salvador and La Agencia Técnica de Investigación criminal, or ATIC. Mr. Conn was arrested without incident at a Pizza Hut in Los Aeba, Honduras. Mr. Conn is currently in the custody of FBI agents and at some point soon he'll appear in court to face the remaining charges against him. As promised, Mr. Conn will now be held accountable for his actions, the people he deceived, and the lives he shattered, including all the victims of his greed in eastern Kentucky. Conn has already been sentenced in relation to his guilty plea in the social security scheme, but now he faces prosecution for charges related to his escape. In Lexington, Chris Anderson, EKB News. Six months and four days after he cut off his ankle bracelet and fled for Central America, disgraced disability attorney Eric C. Conn was brought back to the United States and on Wednesday appeared in U.S. District Court for Arrangement on charges related to his escape from home incarceration. He pleaded not guilty to escape, failure to appear in two counts of conspiracy. The judge scheduled a February trial date. Conn was also ordered to be held in jail pending trial. Following the hearing, Conn's attorney told reporters he returned to Kentucky with only the clothes on his back and $20 worth of under-incurrency. After pleading not guilty to those charges, Conn became a resident of the Grayson County Detention Center while he waits for the reaction in his case. Conn is being held without bond while a federal criminal case concerning his escape is pending. He is also awaiting assignment to a federal prison after pleading guilty in an earlier case. Conn pleaded guilty in March to theft and bribery charges related to a scheme to defraunt social security. He was under house arrest but on June 2nd, after meeting with his attorneys in Lexington, he cut off his monitoring device and fled to what we now know was Honduras. Coming up there was actually other news this week other than Eric Seacon. Coming up next we'll take you to two murder trials. Coming up next on This Week. Arteries are the body's highway. It's the job of a vascular surgeon to keep them free and clear. Pikeville Medical Center's vascular surgeons Dr. Al Adasi and Dr. Nancy Clark provide comprehensive treatment for circulatory disorders specializing in limb salvage, aortic disease, carotid artery disease, dialysis and varicose veins. Find out if you are a candidate for vascular screenings call 606 218 2202 Pikeville Medical Center Mayo Clinic Care Network member. Ray worked on my case relentlessly. Injured people turned to attorney Ray Jones to protect their rights. He was wonderful. You couldn't ask for any better. Injury claims could be complicated. Personal injury, workers' comp, social security disability. We can handle all three. Ray's a very good hearted caring person. He did wonders for me. Helping injured people that's what we do. Give us a call. I don't think I could have picked a better law firm than Ray's. Injured call Ray Jones. For the clearest most up-to-date look at your weather check out the EKB weather cam brought to you by American Heating and Cooling. Get a bird's eye view of the skies above Pikeville. Rain or shine day or night watch for the EKB weather cam every day at 6 and 10. Brought to you by American Heating and Cooling. Pikeville Medical Center reminds you Jesus is the reason for the season. This Christmas and throughout the year we remember the greatest gift ever bestowed on mankind, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In celebration of the most wonderful time of year and on behalf of Pikeville Medical Center's entire staff, we wish you and your loved ones a merry Christmas. May the entire community be blessed with peace, love and hope. Remember Jesus is the reason for the season. A confusing end to a Mingo County murder trial Thursday night brings to an end an 18 month saga that began with gunshots fired in a cemetery. EKB news reporter Shelby Porter spoke with the prosecutor and attorney to get his reflections on the case. Two people are now convicted in the shooting death of former coal company executive Ben Hatfield. Hatfield was allegedly shot in the back while cleaning his wife's and in-laws' graves at Mountain View Memory Gardens in Mayer Memorial Day weekend last year. The murder trial of 20-year-old Brandon Leaf, its Patrick of Louisa, finally came to a close last night in Mingo County Circuit Court. To eliminate the possibility of appeals, the parties reached an agreement that resolved all issues in the case. Pursuant to the terms of that agreement, Brena Fitzpatrick has been found guilty of the first-degree felony murder. The prosecutor's office is just very grateful to the jury for their time and attention and their service in this case without their verdict. This case could not and would not have been resolved. Fitzpatrick will be eligible for parole after serving 15 years of his sentence. The agreement gave the family of Ben Hatfield justice and some closure. However, Mingo County prosecuting attorney Jonathan Duke Jewel says he doesn't think the family will ever have peace. One of the worst things about this case is how senseless and how shocking it was and where it occurred on a Sunday afternoon at a cemetery. The reason Ben Hatfield was there that day was to clean off his wife's grave, his wife who he had lost to cancer in 2009 and also her parents, now his children and his family, if they want to go visit Ben or Debbie or Debbie's parents, they have to go back to the scene of the crime where Ben was murdered and that's to me unacceptable. Fitzpatrick's partner in crime, 22-year-old Anthony Rahim Ariago was found guilty in October to first-degree murder, first-degree robbery, and two counts of conspiracy in the case. He will also be eligible for parole in 15 years. Anthony Ariago will formally be sentenced on December 19th. Brandon Fitzpatrick's sentencing will be January 18th. In Williamson, Shelby Porter, EKB News. Another murder trial got underway this week, this one in Letcher County. Pike County native James Huffman IV is accused of stabbing 24-year-old Michael Hogg to death in Weizberg on New Year's Day, 2014. Jury selection took three days to complete and witness testimony got underway Thursday. In addition to Hogg, Huffman is accused of stabbing Stacey Phillips in Christopher Puckett, leaving Puckett with a life-threatening injury. Puckett, who was allegedly the first to be stabbed, took the stand Friday and described how amidst his own injury, did not know Hogg had been stabbed until his group was en route to the hospital while fleeing from Huffman and his alleged accomplice, Patrick Smith. The prosecution's witness testimony is expected to continue Monday. James Huffman is facing a murder charge and several counts of attempted murder. A grand jury will determine if any criminal action can be taken following a shooting death in Martin County early Wednesday. The incident happened just after three o'clock in the morning of Devella Road at DeBoard. Kentucky State Police confirms that 46-year-old Rodney Step of DeBoard was killed. The Martin County Sheriff's Office was the first agency on the scene of the reported shooting at Devella Road, where 46-year-old Rodney Step was killed. Upon arriving on the scene, officers spotted a man standing over a body on the ground. That man allegedly ignored Sheriff John Kirk's repeated commands to show his hands. He then allegedly said, shoot me and reached into his pocket. At that time, he was taken to the ground where he allegedly continued to fight officers. Sheriff Kirk was injured in the scuffle and had to be taken to the emergency room. That man, 66-year-old Elwood Six of Inez, was arrested and charged with wanton endangerment, menacing, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct. He remains launched in the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center. Pike Bill will apparently be getting 875 new paying jobs with an average pay of $39 per hour when a planned 372 million dollar advanced battery manufacturing facility opens in the next few years. Power Solutions Provider Inner Blue Incorporated will first place its $40 million headquarters and research development operations in Lexington, creating an additional 110 jobs, paying an average of $52 per hour. Inner Blue plans to manufacture high performance batteries for buses and other large vehicles with production beginning in Lexington and ramping up in Pike Bill when a new manufacturing facility can be built in the next two to three years. It's a big win for state officials in Eastern Kentucky which has lost thousands of high paying coal mining jobs in recent years. State, City of Pike Bill and Commerce Lexington officials plan a joint announcement event at 10 30 a.m. on December 15th in Pike Bill. EKB News will of course continue to follow this story. Coming up, Andrew Joyce will be in with a look back at the weekend sports sometimes you need more advanced care and it's good to know you can get it right here at home. It can be scary to hear that your doctor or local hospital needs to transfer you somewhere else. So if that happens ask about Pike Bill Medical Center first with a team of board certified doctors and membership in the Mayo Clinic Care Network. Pike Bill Medical Center offers a higher level of care right here at home. Pike Bill Medical Center, the specialists are here. Ninety-six-five WXCC, the Tristates Coal Country, the latest and the greatest artist. With Coal Country mornings, weekday mornings from six to nine, WXCC, the Tristates Coal Country. Eastern Kentucky, beautiful, green, peaceful, friendly, but there's a darker side to these mountains. When crime is committed, sometimes cases go unsolved. Occasionally the perpetrators even get away with murder. On our latest news segment, The Scene of the Crime, I'll be working with local law enforcement to help find justice for victims and their families. The Scene of the Crime, Fridays at six and ten brought to you by Billy Johnson, your injury attorney. Let's take a look at the forecast here on EKB. Your sky watch Doppler radar weather update. I'm urologist Clarence Ponsler. We'll have a chilly night ahead with wind chills in the upper teens. Actual air temps about 25 this Sunday night at about 9 p.m. As we head towards Monday 24 at midnight then a southwest breeze at four to seven miles per hour greetsets at the 6 a.m. Monday morning hour 22 degrees and we take a look at the Sunday night alloc here in Pikeville. That's going to be expected with that southwest breeze as I mentioned, so a chilly night ahead. Then we'll see a mild day on Monday, mostly sunny skies, 51 in Prestonburg, 51 in Pikeville, 49 Williamson, 48 Logan. As we take a look at the day planner for your Monday, drive is still cold, 31 to mostly sunny skies by your 3 p.m. hour, mild for December standards, a little bit above average. Then we'll see those south southwest winds at about four to seven miles per hour, 42 the expected low, mostly clear skies by your dinner time Monday night. Could see a few snow snow flurries late as temperatures drop to generally in the mid 30s and as we take a look at the extended forecast we'll see that new cold front making its way on Tuesday bringing us a 20 percent chance of snow flurries and a snow shower. Then we'll see those highs only in lower 30s for Wednesday, but at least the sun will be out in the mid 40s with that partly sunny sky, mostly cloudy with another cold front coming by. Then we could see a 30 percent chance of rain and snow showers high at 50, 45 on Sunday, mostly cloudy. That was your weather update, now I'll send it back to you. This week in sports we saw the Johnson Central Golden Eagles make their third straight, class 4A state football championship appearance. This time looking to repeat as champs, this time at Kroger Field in Lexington, this time a rematch of last year's title game, The Opponent Franklin Simpson. The scene was new for all involved as the state football finals hadn't been held in Lexington since 1976. The Golden Eagle fans were in the house. Franklin Simpson got things started quarterback Ryland Thomas hands off to Trey Bass. He'll break it for a big run for Franklin Simpson. Thomas now under center. He'll roll out and find Javon Covington, a big game that puts them deep in central territory. Thomas now walks up to the line, gets set and a quarterback sneak into the end zone for the Wildcat touchdown. The Golden Eagles now look to answer. Riley Priest takes the snap, he'll drop back and fires a bomb down field. Seth Dalton has no one around him. That's a 49-yard Johnson Central touchdown. Not enough. Franklin Simpson gets the win. 35-21 over Johnson Central for the championship. And this week the NAI released its first men's basketball. Coaches top 25 of the regular season and the uphike bears climbed into the top 10. In the coaches top 25 at number one is Georgetown at 13-0 followed by LSU Shreveport, William Penn Iowa third, Carol Montana fourth, the Masters California fifth with Columbia, Missouri at six, Science and Arts at seven, and UPIKE at number eight. Lindsay Wilson from the Mid-South Conference at number nine. Campbellsville 21st and Life Georgia brings up the rear at 25. It's UPIKE's 61st consecutive poll that they've been mentioned. And with the opening of a new school we expect to see many first and record set the historic day in Floyd County this week. The first college signing in Floyd Central history took place as Johnna Preston signed to play volleyball next season at the University of Pikeville. Preston led the Lady Jaguars this season in blocks and ranked third in kills helped lead her team to the 15th region championship in its inaugural season. It means a lot to me because I love to play volleyball and it's like my life for like the past six years, seven years. It's basically all I've done every summer so it means a lot that I get to pursue my career and get an education at the same time. Anytime we needed something we could go to her. She was one of the ones that learned how to play every position and there are so many times that we we relied on her to hit from the middle or hit from the outside or even hit from the right side. And it seemed like every time we needed a big block she came up with it. And that's a look at This Week in Sports. I'm Andrew Joyce. Sean will be right back with more This Week. Arteries are the body's highway. It's our job to keep them free and clear. Pikeville Medical Center's vascular surgeons Dr. Al Adassi and Dr. Nancy Clark provide comprehensive treatment for circulatory disorders specializing in limb salvage, aortic disease, carotid artery disease, dialysis and varicose veins. Find out if you are a candidate for vascular screenings. Call 606-218-2202 Pikeville Medical Center Mayo Clinic Care Network member. For the clearest most up-to-date look at your weather, check out the EKB weather cam brought to you by American Heating and Cooling. Get a bird's eye view of the skies above Pikeville. Rain or shine day or night watch for the EKB weather cam every day at six and ten brought to you by American Heating and Cooling. The City of Pikeville reminds you to shop local this holiday season supporting local business nurtures the regional economy maintains jobs for your friends and neighbors and stimulates overall growth whether you're a resident of Pikeville, of East Kentucky or one of our neighboring states the City of Pikeville wishes you seasons greetings and extends an open invitation to visit one of our many shops stores and restaurants. You're sure to find the perfect gift for the people you love this year. Happy holidays and happy shopping from the City of Pikeville. Pikeville Medical Center reminds you Jesus is the reason for the season between the shopping, baking, get-togethers, holiday stress and even joy it's easy to forget why we're celebrating Christmas on behalf of PMC's administration staff and the people we serve we wish you a merry Christmas with sincere gratitude we thank you for supporting our mission to provide world-class quality care in a Christian environment all year long remember Jesus is the reason for the season there's a musical tradition here unlike anywhere else in America during this week we shine a light on part of that musical tradition so now sit back relax and enjoy our mountain music it's time now for mountain music being brought to you by the Mountain Art Center the main stage of the country music hyena well I had Tyler, I teach in Orange County high school and I teach freshmen and I had Tyler several years ago in my freshman government class a little broad-eyed red-haired kid and I play music and a lot of people know that so me and Tyler connected pretty early because he played music it didn't take long to figure out that Tyler wasn't like most of the other children he was he was already writing songs and was interested in some pretty esoteric stuff well when he was in David's class uh David brought home these lyrics he's like I got this kid in class you know check these lyrics out and I'm reading them I'm like oh my gosh you know this is like dealing stuff how does this kid you know um which that was my first really encounter you know about knowing Tyler but um Tyler started doing one of my songs out when he very first started playing uh and I was just you know of course thrilled that somebody's actually doing a song of mine and they were young you know a song of mine would appeal to like a younger crowd but he did it he made his own and uh it was just such an honor to hear him play that thing you said just the stories uh that she tells about the people in this region and just uh and her experiences that that come through in uh her music has always been a really important thing to me um and uh the relationship that I've had with Chico and winner has uh has meant a lot to me and uh shaped shaped to me as a musician so I'm uh it's always pleasure and always an honor to get to play with him it's something that we always knew we always knew that he would grow it's like okay we gotta watch this you know you know I can't wait to see him in a few years because we know he's he's headed for bigger better things you know wherever he is he's going to take that next step I see a lot of kids come through the high school that are gifted in different ways and you know that some kids are going to be great lawyers and some kids are going to be great basketball players and you know entertainment's a different field and you can be as good as it gets and if you don't get the breaks and get the work done it doesn't happen for you so that's not like the other lines of work you go into but Tyler had the goods and he put in the work I mean he's worked hard and so now we're so proud of him I get goosebumps I cried when I saw him in Rolling Stone I mean it's just like one of my children and so it's so great to watch him grow arteries are the body's highway it's the job of a vascular surgeon to keep them free and clear Pikeville Medical Center's vascular surgeons Dr. Al Adasi and Dr. Nancy Clark provide comprehensive treatment for circulatory disorders specializing in limb salvage aortic disease carotid artery disease dialysis and varicose veins find out if you are a candidate for vascular screenings call 606-218-2202 Pikeville Medical Center Mayo Clinic Care Network member 93.1 WDHR today's best country always the newest country from the biggest stars catch the daybreak morning show weekday mornings from six to nine where you can win cool prizes and even cold hard cash 93.1 WDHR today's best country sometimes you need more advanced care and it's good to know you can get it right here at home it can be scary to hear that your doctor or local hospital needs to transfer you somewhere else so if that happens ask about Pikeville Medical Center first with a team of board certified doctors and membership in the Mayo Clinic Care Network Pikeville Medical Center offers a higher level of care right here at home Pikeville Medical Center the specialists are here I hope you enjoyed our look back at some of the stories that made headlines this week be sure to tune in next week at 6 30 right here on EKB-TV for this week I'm Sean Allen have a great weekend